Kristy Hunt

Good Friend a New Perspective

2012-02-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see a friend I last saw over 9 months ago. He volunteered to help me pick up the new loveseat and flat screen TV I had bought with his truck. It was while we were eating at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place for lunch that our conversation turned a bit more serious about life. Without going into personal details, suffice it to say this friend has been through a LOT. I admire him for his strength, his perseverance, and his holding fast to gospel truths. In hearing him talk, I felt that I was supposed to hear what he had to say, to remember the things he brought up. I was impacted so hard by some of these thoughts that I had to share them. Perhaps they won't influence anyone like they did me, but I feel I have experienced a pardigm shift in the last 24 hours--that the glasses through which I view the world have taken on a new shade. Here are the two thoughts:

1. Becoming more Christ-like by creating order

Life does not own us, we own it. But how often do we allow ourselves to become the victim of circumstance? How often do we pity ourselves and what roll of the die has been extended to us? Although I would love to say I never have done either of the former, I will admit I'm human! I often begrudge a certain situation in my life. I often compare my life to others' and question why things are the way they are. However, a Christ-like attribute is being able to walk into chaos and create order. It is being able to accept the way things are, but then work to achieve order, thereby creating the situation one wants to have or in which they wish to live. When we react instead of act, we are letting life own us. For game-lovers like myself, this can become the angle we need to face each new day. How can I create order from what life offers me today? How many points will I award myself from the good work I do in creating that order? We each are given one life. I am determined to own my own life and create order from whichever situation comes my way.

2. "...even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty..." 2 Nephi 27:3

How much of what we do feels like what we should be doing, but is not ultimatley giving us the nourishment we need? Now, obviously, we're talking analogously because I can think of plenty of times in my life that I have eaten food but still been hungry. What I'd like to conclude is that there are activities, habits, and behaviors that we each have developed and in which we are constantly involved that lack the sustenance we need for our development in this "mortal realm" (Thanks to Thor for my new beloved phrase). I think this is really only applicable on a deep, personal level, but I found how this applies to me and it was like being struck by a bolt of lightning (or Thor's hammer). This life is toooooo short. Why waste time on those things which are so temporary, so lackig in life-time, or even eternal, achievement? I don't want to be "hungry." I want to eat, and find myself nourished, fulfilled, and content.

Okay...enough of my philosophical moment...

Now I'm going to go watch Thor on my new TV :)

A Great Change

2012-02-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I moved to the Sugarhouse/Milcreek area of Salt Lake. I now live in an old Salt Lake home with some other girls. Though I didn't know them (hadn't even met them!) until after I moved in, I feel like this has been such a great blessing. The other two girls who share the upstairs with me are also returned missionaries and have great personalities--down to earth girls who I can get along with! We share the laundry room with two girls who live in the basement (they have their own kitchen and living room downstairs), and they are great as well. Oh! And there is a piano in the basement! Nobody else really plays so guess who has dibs on it all the time! A dream come true!

I went to my ward today for the first time, and it is such a great one! The average age seems to be about 26, and there are tons of returned missionaries, both men and women. Everyone was so welcoming and I felt right at home. Better yet, my former mission companion whom I love SO much, Jennie Toronto, walked in! She's in the ward too!

I met my Bishopric and they are all great.

I'm at a better half-way point between work at the investment firm and the dance studio in Centerville (I'm now teaching two nights a week).

I'm within a 15-minute drive of 5 different Gold's Gym locations (you better believe I've been to all of them!)

Oh the chapters of life.

Warning: Vent Session

2012-01-21T13:27:00.001-08:00

Goals. I thrive on making and working towards them. They fuel me with purpose and passion. My schedule, habits, and thinking revolve around them. My goals are worthwhile and push me to be a better person in many arenas.

Why can't others see that busting my butt for a goal is worth the pain, time, and effort to me?

Why can't others encourage me in my pursuits, instead of trying to talk me out of them, or even denigrating the goal itself?

If I don't set a goal and work towards it, I am stagnating. I'm floundering. Isn't the purpose of us being here on earth to progress--to better ourselves?

I take time to smell the roses. Others may not see it, but I do. And that's all that matters.

Sometimes I wish people would just worry about their own lives instead of trying to direct mine.

I think my parents and siblings are the only ones who understand why I am the way I am. Thanks, family, for loving me and my goals. :)

We Never Arrive...We Only Progress

2012-01-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

The good news. . .I passed my insurance test! After four months of studying, attending lectures and listening to nothing but lecture recordings in my car on commutes, I took the test and passed it! It felt so good to chuck all of my study materials in the garbage and break every CD in half. Some of you may be asking...WHY? DON'T DO THAT!! Well, as most things in life, the licensing is very different from real life application. I feel juuuuuuust fine about getting rid of that stuff. I by all means have not even come close to "Arriving," I have simply completed one successful step down the path of the goals I have set for myself.

What's next?

I started studying for the Series 7 (financial advising) test. My goal is to take (and pass!) it by my 25th birthday! I've got a little over three months and feel I have set a great strategy calendar to get me there. Baby steps, baby steps. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to be working, learning, and licensing all at the same time!

My team is great -- Duane and Lloyd are great mentors and so patient with me and the learning that is taking place. I could not have asked for a better team! They bring so much experience and knowledge to the table and I have learned so much just by observation.

What else is new?

I'm still trying to sell my lease and get into a new place.

Still loving teaching dance once a week in Centerville. It's hard to walk on the day(s) following Tuesday because my dancer muscles don't get used often with my normal gym workouts, but it's sooooo worth it! I feel like I have a great relationship with the girls I teach, and I love watching them progress.

Looking forward to seeing lots of my family in Provo this weekend! AND to meet the Korean student who is staying with my parents and speak with him in Korean.

Check in the safe...

2011-12-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Elder Henry B. Eyering gave a talk where he challenged us to ask ourselves this question every day.

Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch me today?

Here's my story:

Today at work, I could not find where I had put a clipped stack of checks that added up to a very significant amount. I remembered specifically putting them in my file drawer and locking the door the last time I had been in the office. After leafing through every file, nook, and cranny, I began to panic. At one point, I was on the floor under my desk peering under everything to see if, perhaps, the stack had fallen underneath the file cabinet. While I was down there, I offered a quick, heart-felt prayer. Please, Heavenly Father, I really need Thy help. I can’t find these checks and I need them. They can’t be lost. Please help me know where to find them. I kept repeating the prayer over and over in my mind as I continued looking.

The thought came to me: Check in the safe. I almost laughed. Stupid thought. I remembered specifically that I had placed the checks in the file drawer. I knew I had given something to Trent the previous week to put in the safe, but it wasn’t the checks. Don’t get your hopes up! I chided myself. I knew that if I were to believe the checks were in the safe, which I knew wasn’t possible, that I would be that much more crushed to find the checks really were lost or, worse, stolen. The thought came again: Check in the safe. I wanted to scream. THEY’RE NOT THERE! My stupid mind was playing tricks on me. I remembered Duane’s and my conversation Friday after everyone had left and we were the only ones in the office. No one was there to unlock the safe. So we had decided the safest place to put the checks would be in my cabinet to which only I held the key. The panic was searing through me now and I was shaking. I wanted to throw up. I thought I had gone crazy because I knew I had put the checks there! Where on earth could they have been?!

Check in the safe. The thought came to my mind again in the same calm, matter-of-fact voice. Fine! I seemed to shout in my head. But this is going to be stupid when I find out the checks aren’t in there. I quickly approached Trent, our operations manager, and asked him to go with me to the safe. I told him I remembered giving him something to put in there, but wasn’t entirely sure what, and needed to find out. We walked to the back office, he knelt at the safe, and opened the door. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked as he handed me a stack of clipped checks. My knees almost buckled and I thought the whole room was spinning way too fast. “Yes!” I nearly shouted at him. I wanted to cry, leap, shout, scream – I was so excited! The checks weren’t lost!

And then I remembered the prayer.

I hadn’t found the checks.

I had just finally listened to the voice that had told me where they were.

The story of how the checks got into the safe is irrelevant. What matters is that I had a prayer answered, and though it took some time for me to respond, I finally did.

The Best Month of the Year...

2011-12-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

One of my company parties was with Oxford Financial Group. We ate a very nice meal on the ninth floor of the Joseph Smith Building, right next to the temple spires. I kept telling my date, "Look! A castle!" It was such a beautiful sight! The Riverton High Madrigals were our entertainment that night and did a very nice job with their arrangement of songs. But I think my favorite part of the evening was seeing how adorable my boss and his wife were, so kind and sweet to each other and holding hands like newlyweds (I imagine they've been married over25 years). For some reason it was so sweet and tender and reminded me of my parents. How grateful I am for great examples of what relationships are supposed to be like.
I was so lucky to get asked by Brand and Tann to watch Nikki while they went to his company party. We went to the grocerey store, ate tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and made a gingerbread house (with graham crackers of course because I didn't have time to make gingerbread and refrigerate it)! She was soooo sweet to have at my house for a few hours. It was such a joy to watch her spoon my very runny icing (I ran out of powdered sugar :/) onto the house and then drop the candy onto it for decoration. We jumped on my bed, read books to my zebra stuffed animal, and I was so grateful for the time to spend with my sweet niece.
Denzel finally came home! We were so glad to be able to greet him at the airport. He looks great and we are excited to have him home. I love him and am so grateful for his service to our country.

Great Weekend!

2011-11-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I went with my friend, Courtney, up to Park City to chaperone her cousins' high school birthday party. The girls' parents were on a cruise so we were asked to make be in charge at this co-ed party. We stayed in this amazingly nice cabin at the top of Deer Valley Resort. This is the view I woke up to after sleeping in a king-size bed with memory foam and a fire crackling in the fireplace.

Courtney was stressed about writing her talk for her older sister's baptism the following day. (Courtney was baptized at age 21 last January, and through her encouragment, her younger sister was baptized at age 19 in May and now her older sister was baptized at age 26. As I lay there and let her bounce ideas off me, I felt impressed to share with her the following story which she used in her talk:

When I was young, I wanted to make waffles. I followed the recipe and carefully mixed the batter up. After pouring the batter in the waffle maker and waiting for the light to turn green, I tried to pry the iron open; however, it wouldn't budge. I called for my mom to help me. Together, we were able to open the waffle maker, but it was a gooey, nasty mess. My waffles were ruined and I was devastated. What had I done wrong? My mom helped me retrace my steps and we discovered that instead of 2 Tbsp. of honey, I had added 2 CUPS of honey! I felt miserable and like a failure. I would never be able to make waffles perfectly like my mom and dad could. What was wrong with me?! My mom comforted me and assured me that it would be okay. We took some time together to clean up the mess and threw out the old batter. She said it would be best to throw it out and start again from scratch. I felt bad for wasting the money for her ingredients, but she said it was okay. She wanted me to learn from this. Together, we made a new batch of waffles, and they turned out fantastic!

Jesus Christ has given us the gift of baptism to begin anew, to have clean slate, a fresh beginning. His atonement paid the price for us to restart and try again. He has promised us that if we follow his "recipe" -- the gospel -- exactly, we will be able to have a life like He and His Father. He loves us and is with us every step of the way as we put our own "recipes" together.

Baptism is such a blessing and a gift!

The baptism was fantastic! I had many missionary memories come flooding back.

From left to right: Belinda (26), me (24), Courtney (21), Makayla (19).

Time Marches On

2011-11-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

We are heading from Fall into Winter in the beautiful land of Salt Lake City, Utah. I have to admit that I'm dreading wiping snow off my car in the morning, shoveling the driveway, and simply being cold. At this very moment, I'm looking at the shoe rack in my closet and thinking, Oh boy, so many shoes, yet only two pairs will be appropriate for the winter. Life continues to march onward! Work is going very well and I love being able to learn something new every day. I am often so happy that I can look back and say that my undergraduate degree is finished, but I also know the day will come (maybe next year?) that I will pursue a Master's degree. In what? Who knows yet. I've narrowed it down to three options:Counseling, Nutrition, and Business Administration. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it next year when I need to study for the GMAT are GRE, respectively.

I feel I have received my fair share of stress over the last few weeks:

I realized I couldn't get my car registered until it passed safety, which was supposed to be done before I bought the car. I bought the car from a man who happened to be a salesman at Murdock Hyundai, so did the financing through the dealership, though it was an independent party sale. Well, when I got Safety and Emissions done and it didn't pass, he refused to pay for the diagnostic and repairs. Luckily I came in contact with some car dealership owners who advised me of the law (turns out that Murdock Hyundai's name was on the contract, not the salesman's...) which states that it is illegal for a dealership to sell a car that cannot pass Safety and Emissions. After we contacted the Motor Vehicle Law and got them on board, the salesman all of a sudden was more than willing to pay for the repairs to enable my car to get registered. It has been a mess to deal with and I've been pulled over twice for no plates--once I got cited! Hopefully it'll get wiped off my record when I show them it is registered and all of the documents involved with this ordeal. Hopefully I'll have plates this week!
Got my first speeding ticket.
I'm trying to move out of my place and find a new one still in the Cottonwood Heights area. I would like to find roommates that can keep a place clean and organized as well as cheaper rent. I can't wait until I have a place of my own someday.
Still studying for my insurance producer test.
Lost my debit card, phone, charger, makeup, and driver's license in the same day, and all at different times. I have since recovered all but the license, which I'll need to do at the DMV this week.
Regardless of how much I enjoy work, it is VERY stressful with the amount of work that is piled on me because I am capable of doing it.
Dating! Been out with a few great guys lately, but nothing of what I'm looking for.

Can't wait for Thanksgiving and to be with my family! T minus 11 days until I go to St. George! Hooray!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T07:36:00.001-07:00

It's our big Open House at the office today! So I dressed up as Cleopatra!! :)

All from a CTR Ring

2011-10-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

About a month and a half ago, I was sitting in my insurance class. These classes are mostly full of older adults, mid-thirties and up. Well, that night, there was a cute girl, who looked to be about my age. During a break, she looked over at me and mentioned casually, "hey! We have the same CTR ring!" I looked down, and we did in fact. Then she said she had heard me talking about Korea with some of the men. "Did you go on a mission?" "Yep," I answered. We began talking about my mission as she said she was thinking about going. She told me she was a convert of about 9 months. We exchanged phone numbers and I didn't see her for a month and a half.

Last week, a shipment of my books came in and I sent her a message, asking if she might like a copy of one. We agreed to go to lunch yesterday.

After spending nearly five hours with this amazing, inspiring girl, we really felt that the Lord put us where we would be able to meet each other. Her story is incredible, her faith remarkable. I don't think I have ever been as inspired by somebody. She told me that she had been fasting and praying about serving a mission when we first met. There were three events that happened that opened her eyes to the answer she received, and I was one of them. As of yesterday, her papers were finished, health exams done, and all she has left is her meeting with the stake president. I am SO excited for her and know she will be an incredible missionary that will rock the socks off people as to the reality of what the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring into their lives.

Does the Lord care about us and put people in our paths whose stories will inspire us, and our stories inspire them? You bet. And I think I've got a lifelong friend out of it too...

Me...working in FINANCE?

2011-10-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Yep, I know...laugh all you want. I have been through just about every job possible for a 24-year old lady -- I say lady because I'm not a girl, nor am I a woman. For some reason I feel like having a child makes an individual a woman. So for now, I'm a lady :) Personal trainer, spa manager, free-lance writer, chiropractic biller, drill coach and dance teacher, English teacher, supplement distributor, retail manager, real estate assistant, piano teacher. . . the list goes on and on! But guess, what? I have found something that CLICKS.

My title is an Administrative Assistant and I am the third member of a team of financial advisors, business consultants, a CPA, and insurance producers. I do their paperwork, their customer service, their account maintenance, and am now branching into marketing with my English background. I am currently studying to become certified as an insurance producer so I can actually sign the applications I fill out with clients (SUCH a hard test to study for! I hope to take and pass it by Thanksgiving).

When I first began this job, I didn't even know what IRA stood for. Two months later, I can confidently say that I understand more about the world of finance, insurance, investments, and tax than I would have learned working in a different profession for 20 years. This is knowledge that is already blessing my life, and I hope to be able to bless other people's lives in the long run (it'll take a few more years to get to that point).

Nonetheless, I'm loving work. The office I work in is all independent advisors under the blanket firm of Investment Management Consultants. Our beautiful office is up against Little Cottonwood Canyon and the autumn leaves are a joy to see coming and going to work.

Duane Toney and Lloyd Alexander, the guys I work with, are fantastic. Check out their facebook page I just made!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Duane-Toney-CPAPersonal-Financial-Specialist/238306242888516

Everyone pray that I pass this insurance test!

My New Life in Salt Lake City...

2011-09-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

The past three weeks have been such a whirlwind! I feel like I'm still barely recovering from jet lag and getting settled in, yet life has just taken me by both arms and rustled me around pretty good. I am so grateful for my summer in Korea and the experiences I had there. Do I miss it? Nope. I'm pretty "Koreaned" out for a little bit. 9 weeks was enough for me!

The flight home was great! I stayed up all night to make myself really tired for it, then took a sleeping pill right before I boarded the plane. I woke up only for two meals during the 12-hour flight, and next thing I knew, I was in Vancouver! It was wonderful! What was even better than that was meeting my mom at the Vegas airport a few hours later and driving home to St. George, Utah. It is always the most remarkable feeling going home and it brought back so many memories of other longer excursions and the relief I felt upon entering the St. George valley and seeing the white pinnacle of the temple. I spent one day in St. George going to the dentist, dermatologist, gym, hair dresser, etc. before I moved up to Salt Lake City the next day. The day following that, I began working full-time! I applied for a job I found on Craigslist and was interviewed, hired, and had my salary negotiated before I ever stepped foot on American soil. Oh, the beauties of technology.

I am now an Administrative Assistant for Duane Toney, a financial advisor at Investment Management Consultants in Cottonwood Heights. The office has about 6 different advisors with their own Assistants, and it is extremely classy--my dream job! I get to wear a dress and heels every day. Why is that so fun to me? I have my own personalized voicemail, extension, email, etc. Though my degree is in English and I have had to work my bum off the past few weeks to get up to speed quick in the finance world, I really think that this field of finance may be one I stick in for awhile. I will be getting licensed to deal insurance this fall and we'll see where we go from there!

In the meantime, a very short-term relationship (laughable, really), the woes of trying to find a car to purchase, and hitting up as many social gatherings as possible to make friends have kept me completely overwhelmed and busy.

At least there are three constants in my life: the gospel, my family, and awesome workouts at Gold's Gym. Hallelujah for sanity.

I keep reminding myself that 24.5 years old is neither old nor "young" (everything is relative, right?) To the 18-year old freshman, I'm super old. To the 30-year old mom of 2 kids, I'm young and living the good life. So I'm somewhere in the middle. The air between the peanut butter and jelly.

At the very least, I always have hilarious stories to tell...

It's official...

2011-08-15T16:58:00.001-07:00

Time to Say Goodbye -- 안녕!

2011-08-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

눈깜작할 사이에 시간이 지내갔다! I could have never predicted how the last two months turned out: everything from the places I've lived and the places I've worked, to the people I met and the time I would come home. Though I thought I'd be here a year, it is now time to say goodbye to Korea. I will arrive in Utah the evening of August 15, spend a day in St. George with my family, and then move up to Salt Lake City where I will begin work on August 17 as an administrative assistant at an investment firm. I am so grateful to have found such a great job and am excited to begin! As I reflect on what the past two months have been for me, I can't help but be grateful for not only the chance to come back to this land I came to love as a missionary, but for the time and means to have such an incredible personal adventure. I really needed this time to just "do my thang"...to travel wherever, eat whatever, be able to come and go as I please. It has been quite liberating and a true adventure. I've really come to love my students--both at the elementary school academy where I taught full time (pictures below) and my adult students I privately tutored in the evenings.
I've felt my fluency in Korean improve dramatically in only two months and hope I can retain it! I've worked so hard! I know I love Korea too much to never be back again--I'm sure in a few years I'll find my way back here--even if only for a visit. I have way too many friends over here to just say goodbye for forever. And yet, while I love Korea, there are some things that I've really learned to appreciate about Utah:

throwing toilet paper away in the toilet, not the garbage can
soft, comfortable beds
big bathrooms
air-conditioned gyms
NO humidity, clean air, and SEEING THE STARS
driving a car
grass
not having to separate garbage for recycling
not having to go up and down zillions of flights of stairs at the subway stations
NO humidity
understanding 100% of what people say to me
being able to communicate 100% of what I'd like to say
being near my family
living very near a church and temple
No humidity

YEP! The humidity is the hardest part for me--I pray I never have to live on the East coast . . .

So here's goodbye Korea! 다니 만날대까지 . . . And here's helloooooooooooooooooooooo UTAH! :D

Norae Bang -- Korean Karaoke

2011-08-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

One of this past weekend's activities had me saying, "This is by far the most fun thing I've done in Korea!" What was it? Karaoke--Korean style. I went with a lot of my American friends from the English branch. I've known about NoraeBangs ever since I was a missionary, but was unable to go at that time, and have been too busy this time around to go. So we walked into this very nice place that looked like a hotel lobby. Because I'm the Korean speaker of the group, I got the privilege of figuring out the prices and reservations. We split our group of 12 into two rooms of 6. The rooms were on the 15th floor looking out over the city. Not only was the view spectacular, but there was a POLE in the room to dance on as well as two big screen TVs to watch the words on. The microphones had a vibrating quality to them so you actually sounded great when you sang too! My girls and I went at it, singing at the top of our lungs and dancing like there was no tomorrow. I had the time of my life. Why can't America have something like that? I'd go EVERY week! :D

Oh yeah...That's Who I Am!

2011-08-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

It's an interesting thing living in a foreign country, trying my best to respect, understand, and adapt to the culture. It's a very unique feeling and impossible to understand until you experience it for yourself. In the midst of the last two months, I have felt a sense of loss--like a part of me that makes me who I am has been completely torn from me. Dance. A two-month break: that doesn't sound like a long time, does it? Well I'll tell you, it feels like an eternity! As I have been getting acupuncture for my back and giving it a rest (it has hurt me about 10% of the amount as the pain I felt every day for the past year while dancing), I know it has been a very good thing. But on the other hand, that feeling of loss is difficult to reconcile. Last night I went to the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company concert, whose artistic director is extremely famous here in Korea. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time. Not only were there many ideas and new concepts that triggered in my mind, but that feeling of this is who I am! would not leave me. As much as I want to have me, Kristy Jo Hunt, stand independent from any supposed title because I know that's not who I truly am, I will say it loud and clear right now: I AM A DANCER. MY HEART IS IN DANCE. IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY AND IS MY PASSION. I AM PROUD TO BE A DANCER AND WANT DANCE TO BE IN MY LIFE FOR ALL OF MY DAYS. This is who I am. So now. . .what's the next step? Time to think and pray :)

Relaxing Day

2011-07-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

With it being summer vacation, I made myself schedule some "alone" time where I didn't have to scurry to meet a friend, or teach a lesson, or something like that. I have been going going going ever since I stepped foot in this country at the first of June and I am exhausted! So on Saturday, I went to Yoeido island, which is an island off the Han River, and just walked around in the muggy heat and thought. I love thinking. There is always something to think about. And I have some big changes going on in my life right now so thinking is a good thing. I splurged a whole 2 bucks (I'm really good about saving money :)) and bought some peach-flavored ice chips to suck on while relaxing in an air-conditioned hut by the Han River. It was interesting to see where all of the flooding had occurred from this past week's incredible flooding. I had many people inquire as to whether or not I was safe. Yes, I was! The deepest water I had to wade through was to my knees and that was to get to the bus stop. But the thunder and lightning was pretty scary and my heart goes out to the families of the 50 people whose lives were lost this week. I am about 30 minutes away from the province that was hit the hardest.

One of my Students. . .

2011-07-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

My student, Jian, is a 29-year old concert pianist who performs in foreign countries and holds two master's degrees from an academy in England. She is amazing! I love her to death! She practiced the piano for four hours a day as a child and teenager, and now sleeps in a room with her grand piano...

Torture Museum

2011-07-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today I went with some friends who came to English class when I was a missionary to a torture museum. The jail held around 150 people at one time for nearly 80 years in the 20th century when Japan had invaded Korea. It was really difficult to see a lot of the torture devices and ways they treated these people. But probably the most heartbreaking was to see videos of the survivors telling their stories and showing their wounds. These included toes swollen to the size of small tangerines from the Japanese shoving knives under their nails . . . missing eyes . . . etc. After the torture museum, we went to Myeong-Dong which is a huge shopping/fun area! We ate pork cutlet and an ice cream cone which made me really sick because I've been on a way strict diet the past few weeks of protein shakes, tuna, fruit, vegetables, potatoes, and kimchi stew. So I was hating life for a little bit after that delicious, yet greasy, pork cutlet. We found a Forever 21 in all of the hustle and bustle and one of the sisters bought me a belt! She is such a sweetheart! It was a great Saturday! Especially when I went to the gym tonight and got approached by the owner of the gym. He wants me to work at his gym as a trainer and teach him English. This guy is on every health and fitness magazine cover in Korea and has won many body building competitions. I was quite flattered for him to tell me I was in great shape and that my Korean was amazing. We'll see if I can fit another job into my schedule that is quickly becoming a 15-hour work day . . .

Farm Field Trip

2011-07-19T04:27:00.000-07:00

Today I got to go on a field trip with the Pre-schoolers and Kindergartners who I teach. We took some shuttles and buses about 45 minutes north of Seoul to Ilsan. It was such a hot day and totally sapped my strength, but it was fun to do something with the kids. We dug up potatoes and picked jalapenos and tomatoes. The kids were so much fun to watch -- especially the girls with the potatoes. They thought it was so gross they had to pull the potatoes out of the dirt. I will say that dirt is very rich and moist, but stunk soooo bad! I don't know what kind of fertilizer they use! Note to self: wash my potatoes SUPER well before I eat them :/

Helping the kids with their potatoes

More potatoes!

When they're sweet like this, they tug on my heartstrings...

Jalapeno plants

Mud Festival 2011 -- Boryang, South Korea

2011-07-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine the biggest mud festival in the world on a beautiful beach in a foreign country? I kept thinking I was dreaming it was such an incredibly fun experience. I took the bus two hours south out of Seoul with some of my American girlfriends from the English branch. We lucked out with the weather soooo perfectly -- we had about four hours of painting our bodies in mud, going down huge blow up mud slides, doing mud wrestling, tug of wars, huge mud swimming pools, a mud jail where people just threw mud at you, and then going down to the beach to swim and lay out. I finally saw the sun and am so happy to say I got a good tan line! Right as we went to the food booths for lunch the sky clouded over and broke out in a HUGE downpour. That's Korea for you! My friends in Seoul said it rained there all day, so I was very grateful for a day in the sun. There were thousands of people at the festival, about 70% of them foreigners like me. It's the biggest festival in the country all year. Everyone walked around with huge liters of beer in their hands and it really was hilarious to watch how stupid people can be. Whoever said that sober people can't have fun?! Not true! Everyone has got to slather themselves in mud at least once in their life -- there really is nothing like it!

Met a 6'3" professional surfer

Mud Slides!

Getting painted by a Korean woman

My friends from the English branch! Love them!

Getting slammed with mud in the "Mud Prison"

Street Jazz Class in Seoul

2011-07-14T01:45:00.000-07:00

It took over an hour and a half of wandering the city in the rain and taking two different taxis to finally get to the dance studio I found on the internet. I walked down two flights of stairs to the second basement of a hug building and found a dance studio. There it was! It was like heaven to see the wood floors, the mirrors, the ballet barres, and just to feel the atmosphere of a dance studio. It's like a football player smelling grass--it just . . . is amazing and incites deeper feelings and memories. The women at the desk asked me if I'd ever danced before and I said, yes, I have. I would like to join in their Advanced Jazz class for tonight. They looked at each other, and I couldn't help but suppress a smile knowing that their doubts would be vaporized once they saw me start dancing. I just told them I would be okay and do my best. There were about 25 students in the class, the youngest of which I'd say was around my age. We stretched and warmed up, did technique across the floor, then did a way fun and sassy combination in center. It was soooo hot, and we were all just pouring sweat, but I've never had so much fun. It was late--around 10 p.m. so they dimmed all the lights and just had some smaller lights shining in the studio. It was such a cool setting and added even more energy to the atmosphere. I had two favorite parts: the first was when I did my first leap across the floor and Soooooooooared above what these shorter Koreans could attain in terms of vertical height. There were many gasps and a few outbreaks of applause. The second was when we broke in half to do the combo in center. The teacher asked me to go to the front center to perform it. As I walked back to the side (I still hadn't spoken to anyone in Korean--just kind of minded my own business--so no one knew I spoke it) I heard so many people talking about me, amazed. It was a good ego booster I suppose. I finished off the night with an ice cream cone at Coldstone then rode the subway an hour back home. Was it worth the hour of travel both ways, nearly $20 for the class, and the pain I feel in my back today? DEFINITELY.

Cursed be the Food

2011-07-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

You know what I hate? I hate that Korea has some of the most delicious snacks, pastries, beverages, and food in my opinion, yet I'm always watching what I eat so I can't enjoy it! I definitely enjoyed those things often as a missionary because we were always given those things by people. We needed to eat it in order to gain their trust, so I definitely ate! And came home humongous. This time around, my goal is different--I'm going to come back slimmer! I'm down 3 pounds from when I left America and I've been working out hard and really being disciplined in my eating. Yet my mouth waters for all of these amazing places and cakes and doughnuts and cookies and breads and pastries and smoothies and chocolate and crackers! What's a girl who loves food to do??

The Wheels on the Bus...

2011-07-10T16:14:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a lot of fun! I got a facial by one of my church member friends who does NuSkin, ate Mexican food with a friend, and studied Korean in a bookstore for a few hours. While there, an old man sitting next to me decided to talk to me and we ended up becoming friends. He was really sweet. I guess he and his wife go to the bookstore every day to read books for 4 hours. I want to be like that when I'm old. My evening plans got changed, so I had a few hours to burn. I jumped on a bus after buying some "Go-soh-mi" crackers--they're my favorite! One side is sesame seed and the other has sugar on it. I put the sugar side down on my tongue and then I suck on it until it melts in my mouth. The mixture of sesame seed and sugar is soooooo addicting! I like to eat these crackers every day. They're my favorite thing about Korea by far! I rode the bus for a few hours--I just like looking at everything and feeling free! The video I made is a product of the bus ride. Sorry it's kind of boring because I couldn't think of what to say! That night I invited a Korean friend to go with me to the most famous Jim-jil-bang in Yongsan. Now that I had had my first experience and knew what to expect, I was braced and ready for this one! The saunas were great and so relaxing. I even did pretty good sleeping on the floor this time! This place has restaurants to eat at, an outdoor swimming pool for kids, an arcade room, fitness room, skytop garden, cinema, etc. It's so awesome! YeongSeon and I slept in the women's only area in a long narrow room where women slept lined up next to each other like a barracks--except there were no cots. Only the marble floor. Surprisingly, I slept fairly well! The thing about sleeping on the floor is you have to change positions throughout the night when that part of your body goes numb. The next morning I went to the English branch at Yeongdungpo ward where I made a lot of great friends--other female English teachers. As much as I love Korea and Koreans, it was so refreshing to be around Americans doing the same thing as me, able to understand me, etc. And it's SO nice being able to talk without thinking what or how you're saying it. The ward is really great and many of the members there are either military or international business people--lots of very successful people that I couldn't help but admire when I heard what they do. Pretty cool! I put my records into that ward and it'll be good to be "grounded." After a month of wardhopping and feeling like an outsider, I think it'll be good. I went with some of the other YSAs to our Bishop's house, Bishop Rogers, and hung out there eating chips and salsa and sitting on couches and the lovesack. Wow, that was nice! We are all going to go to the mud festival next week! Yeah! So my luggage is packed and I'm ready to move into my new go-shi-wun tonight after work. Should be another adventure!

Learning to Love Kids...

2011-07-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

These faces that my pre-schoolers drew in class the other day were adorable! We learned the English names for the features on our faces. I've learned that the more dramatic and crazy I am, the better they listen cause they're laughing and they want more. I am really learning how to love these little kids--trying to connect with them individually--remembering they're children of God...Soon-Sheen and I made a path out of my Uno cards...he is four years old and pretty adorable! This weekend is my last weekend here at this house. Now it's on to the next adventure in living!

This past weekend I learned how to fly...

2011-07-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

At an old King's tomb. How could I resist the chance to work on my abs? hahaha. This is harder than it looks!

Authentic Acupuncture

2011-07-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by so quickly because I'm constantly going, going, going! I never realized just how many friends I have here in Korea. I am such a blessed girl to be able to have my weekends planned out TWO months in advance because there are so many people to see! And I can't even fit them all in! I guess that's why it's a good thing I'm staying here for a year. This Saturday, I met up with a member who was reactivated while I was a missionary. She wanted me to get traditional acupuncture--she had no idea how miserable of a hurt person I chronically am! They took me into a small room with a bed that was draped and had me show them where I hurt. All of a sudden, the doctor and his assistant are pulling my clothes off (I'm learning quickly that nakedness is no shame in Korea after last week's adventure at the sauna). Now, I've had acupuncture in Utah, and tops, there were 20 needles in me at one time. Well, for over an hour I had over 100 needles in me. They pricked me from top to bottom then put me under a heat lamp which intensified everything. And these needles were bigger and longer than the ones I had in America. After an hour, the very old doctor (with 45 years of practice) came in and removed them. He had me roll from side to side and jabbed them in my hip, behind my knee, and my ankle over and over again as I kept changing sides. We did about 10 rotations, and each time I moved easier! (It's usually very difficult for me to roll over to my side in a lying position because of my back). Then, after talking some more about my acne, indigestion, and menstrual problems, he told me I have a weak uterus and that if he can fix that, all of my other problems will be taken care of. So then he stuck about 50 needles into my stomach and lower abdomen. THESE REALLY HURT! But ever since coming to Korea my body has been freaking out and I don't know why. All I know is that when we were done and I left the office (a very famous doctor), my body's constant feeling of being bloated was gone, my acne had decreased (not so red in color), and I felt ZERO pain in my back and hip. The doctor told me if I will come back every week for several months or so, he can take away the chronic pain in my back for good. The office is letting me use my friend's insurance (she generously offered) so it only costs me 5,000 won (about $5) per visit. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to be treated by such an incredible doctor, and it makes me wonder if this isn't another reason I was supposed to come to Korea...the only bad part of the treatment is that I can't eat bread or rice for one month. Hello, this is Korea. If I don't eat rice, I starve! So I'm going to replace every rice eating with either yogurt or potatoes or cereal.

I was also able to visit Sugi ward -- the are where I served from my 2-4 transfers. At that time, I wasn't amazing at Korean, so it was the BEST thing to hear from the members how GOOD at Korean I am! They were all soooo surprised! Not only did I return to see them (I guess no one really does) but I had continued to study their language. Talk about a compliment to them. I was so grateful that so many remembered me and it felt like I was at yet another home ward. Even all the Young Single Adults were so glad I was there and got my info and stuff. They said they'd be so happy if I could come down and go to their ward once a month or something.

I had dinner with an old investigator, her husband, and their 34-year old son. I had such a great time with them and they enjoyed watching videos of me dance (at their request). Then they had their son drive me home and I couldn't help but get the feeling they wanted him and I to hit it off. While he's very sweet, he's just...Korean. I love Koreans, but don't really want to date one. I did end up getting dinner one night with an intelligence officer from the base. He made me feel like an unlearned pip-squeak because of how much he has done in his life. He speaks 5 different languages, has lived in 20 different countries, and has the most articulate, intelligent English I've ever heard. He wants to go out again but I wasn't that interested in him. Oh well, it was nice to have a date for a second.

On to another work week! Next weekend I'm going to Busan and the beach!

Crazy Weekend...

2011-06-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

What an insane weekend that was! I was in Yongsan alone around 5 pm when I found out my evening plans with Suyeon got cancelled. So I had no place to stay and no plans until church the following morning. I decided to make an adventure of it. After working on my book for the next few hours in a PC Bang (a computer lab type place with thick smoke from the smokers), I braved the rain with my umbrella and decided to just wander around, look for something to eat, and then go to a JingjilBang (sauna) where I heard you can sleep. Well, after walking around the city for an hour while singing church songs, I decided I was no longer having fun. For some reason, I wanted to get to the Han River, so made my way there. By the time I crossed the bridge and walked to an area I knew from where I served in Noryangin, I was soaked from head to foot (it was raining HARD!), cold, hungry, and lonely. I was in the heart of Seoul and all alone. Someone I asked on the street told me there was a JingjilBang on that road, but I couldn’t find it. I asked a woman who was passing me, and she said she would take me there. As we got talking, she was so surprised at my Korean, and super friendly. She offered to get me something to eat so I returned to a little tent-shop side-of-the-road type place where her friends were. As soon as I sat down, alarms went off in my head. There was alcohol everywhere. I quickly leaned over and whispered to her that I don’t drink. I said Cider was okay—so she got me a cider and ordered me hot noodles (I had one of her friends snap a picture so I could remember this hilarious experience--see above). In the meantime, they tried to set me up on a date the following day with their 40-year old friend. Great, I thought. Everyone always trying to get me a boyfriend… ugh. You know I could have one if I actually wanted one… Finally, we finished and she took me to the JingjilBang. I walked in, and was horrified to see naked women walking around like they didn’t care what anyone thought. This would never fly in America, I thought. So I just watched what they did, and followed. It was actually kind of fun, just chillin in all of these hot tubs and saunas.Nobody cared. Of course, I did feel eyes burning holes through me as I was the only foreigner there… finally, I changed into the pink pajamas all the women wear, and followed some women into the sleeping room. I was surprised to see all the men in there too…in their blue pajamas. There were some large oven-like fires and a marble floor the size of a basketball court. I noticed people using these brick-like cushions for pillows, and sleeping on the marble, strewn about haphazardly. I have never felt more alone then right then. So I found a cushion, found a place by a pillar, and lay on the hard marble floor. I put my wet hair over my eyes and tried to sleep. By the time 6 am rolled around, my body was stiff and there were hundreds of people just lying everywhere, sleeping. I decided I wanted to get out of there. So I quickly got ready, left the place, and headed back out into the rain. I still had three hours before church, so walked to the nearest subway station, jumped on, and rode that blessed train for an hour and a half before I got off, took the train going the opposite direction, and finally made it to the church. The rest of the day was good, including singing in the choir for ward conference at Dongjak (the Bishop said my coming made the choir perfect J), getting a facial by Lee MiKyong, and eating dinner with Heather and her husband. She is going to try and get me a job at a university. She also suggested I start writing books on English conversation for Korea. I could make bank! I am sooo tired from this crazy weekend. I'll try and get through this next work week.

More Pics!

2011-06-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

Ruling the streets in Seoul... Eating Mexican food with Elder Frei, Van Hoff, and my new friend Vince!

Mailing my family a postcard from the highest mail box in the world--atop NamSan Tower.

The Seoul temple!

MinTae and me

2011-06-25T01:55:00.001-07:00

MinTae and I met up for Vietnamese food in a popular area of Seoul. It was so good to see and talk to him!

Rain, Rain Go Away

2011-06-23T01:31:00.001-07:00

It's not raining cats and dogs, it's raining horrible acid rain from China. And it's just the beginning--monsoon season is yearly from the end of June to the end of August. This is the time I arrived in Korea as a missionary and was greeted by the non-stop pouring and drizzling from the time my head left the pillow in the morning and the time it hit the pillow again at night. As I sit at the academy at my desk, the front door is propped open and the sound of cars and buses whizzing through the rushing torrents of streetwater fills the acoustic-enhanced sound inside the academy. The humidity is wrapped around me like a blanket--comforting, right? Hardly. At least the academy is air conditioned, and as a teacher in the classroom, I have control over the temperature. I wore heels today so my feet wouldn't get drenched in the puddles as I walked from the bus stop to the academy. That was interesting--trying to walk on the bus while it was darting in and out of traffic. I also think that I should bring a huge beach umbrella. It seems only something that large will keep me from getting wet. It's inevitable at this point, so I just embrace it. And yes, my hair is in a bun. We don't want to scare the Koreans with Kristy frizz bomb "ethnic" hair... ha ha.

It Is What It Is

2011-06-21T01:44:00.000-07:00

The last few days, my thoughts have been turned to perspectives. Perspective is relative to the station in which we are standing and judging the world around us. We label actions and people as “correct” because that is how we are accustomed to living—the things we ourselves do as a matter of ritual or habit. It is my very unprofessional opinion that those who see a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’ in things (outside of those things we can certify as eternal truths) are simply those who lack education in their surroundings and the world outside their tunnel-vision. Being different does not make a person or a people as a whole inherently bad, or even wrong. It is what it is. For example: the fact that Korean people do not hug as a form of greeting and warmth does not give me the right to say they are cold, unfriendly people. It is what it is. The way the lady on the bus chooses to dress with polka dots and plaid patterns clashing does not give me the right to say she lacks fashion awareness. It is what it is. And lastly, how my host parents choose to raise their child is completely dependent upon their own understanding, culture, and experience—whether they come running at the slightest beckon of their son, or whether they allow him to to develop a backbone, developing strength and independence. It is what it is.

Last Weekend...

2011-06-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a lot of fun! I met up with my friend's mom, Insuk, and we attended a temple session together. It was so neat being inside the Seoul temple again, and I found that the session really helped ease my slightly homesick heart. The spirit is in every land, and the gospel reaches all corners of the earth. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and my Savior's love for me. After that, we drove to Seoul tower (kind of like the stratosphere in Vegas) and took the elevator to the top. The view was magnificent! We looked out over the Han River and all of the stacks of apartments and buildings. I wish it hadn't been such a muggy day as the clouds hung low, but from that bird's eye view, it was still incredible! We ate Italian food (with a spicy Korean twist of course) at the top and I really enjoyed being with my Korean "Omma." Both during my mission and now, she makes me feel at home in this land. Yesterday I attended my "home ward" in Dongjak where truly I feel more at home than in my YSA ward in St. George. I love all of the members and they love me. I'm so grateful for all of these wonderful friendships I was able to develop. I also met up with MinTae, who stayed at our house for a few months last winter, and it was so much fun to see him in his homeland. We ate vietnamese food and had a good time sightseeing in GangHwaMun--it's a very famous part of Seoul. With two days of traveling, it was great to get back to "home base" with the family I'm staying with. Though my body has still not adjusted to sleeping on hard wooden floors (my limbs go numb!) I'm sure I will adjust sometime. At least it's good for my back, right? PS I miss dance :(

Curse of the Fans

2011-06-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

This morning I walked into the gym and lo and behold, there was a standing fan! I almost jumped up and down I was so excited! I chose a bike that was nearest the fan, turned it on, and enjoyed the next half hour. Then it was time to switch to the treadmill. I turned the fan slightly so it would hit me briefly as it was swiveling, but the man walking on the treadmill next to me turned and got way mad at me that I let the air hit him. Korean men have a very thick, unfriendly voice and this man was no exception. I turned the fan back the other way and got on the treadmill. I was so mad during the next few miles I ran there and had to talk myself down. I don't know why it made me so mad! I guess it's just the unconscious stress of a different culture, constant uncomfortable situations, and just everything being new. Change is not easy. But by the time I got back to the house and was eating breakfast, Songkeun, the dad of the family I'm staying with, was out in the living room. I told him what had happened and then asked if that was just culture or what I did wrong. He told me that Korean men are just that way. They are extremely rude with what they say and their tones, but it's not what they mean in their heart. Great. I'll keep that in mind every time I'm yelled at. I got a little teary-eyed because I've just had so much stress lately with all the change and he was so sweet. Kiyeun also came in to hear what was going on. They asked why I liked fans and I told them that in America we don't think fans are scary or will kill people when they sleep (yes! they really think that!) Songkeun was so sweet--he went and found a fan that had been stored away in a closet that I can use at night. I told him that's how my family likes to sleep -- (Nat, Dal--that's you!) We like the fan blowing on our faces and then the covers to keep us warm. So that's the story of the fans. And if I don't blog again, it's probably because I died from sleeping with a fan turned on.

I understand...or do I?

2011-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

I am learning to just shut my mouth about understanding Korean...I have a few co-workers who think I can't understand and so they will tell someone to translate to me, but I understood it when they were telling the other one. I told the Dad of the family I live with about this last night so he turned on the news and said he was going to test me. Hmmmm. Let's just say I felt like an idiot. But that's not fair! The vocab on the news is hard! C'mon! So he just laughed. And I felt stupid. Oh well!

Sweat

2011-06-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

So there are no fans in the gyms in Korea. At least not in the few I've been to the past week. I signed up for a three-month membership yesterday in the IPark apartment complex where I live. They have a cardio room with treadmills, a few ellipticals, and bikes, another weight room with machines but few free weights, and an upstairs carpeted room where I can do my P90X stuff. There's just one problem: I already sweat a lot when I work out. I do not enjoy working out in a sauna! I suppose at the very least my pores are very, very clean. Maybe if Koreans keep it hotter, they sweat more and feel they got a better workout--that they worked harder than they did...hmmmm, not my type of mentality at all! But, at least I have a gym to work out at. OH! My favorite machine that I laugh at (because Koreans so seriously use it) is this jiggle band. They stand on a board, strap about a 4" belt around the part of their body they desire, then turn on the high vibratory power. I suppose they think it helps loosen your fat or something--or at least give your muscles somewhat of a workout. I guess our American infomercials selling "it's not hard to work out! products" aren't any better. Ha! Oh, and go figure after my first day at work, I already got a Biggest Loser GLI (Global Leader Institute--my acadey name) competition under way with the other employees. We start today!

Lost...

2011-06-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I got lost TWICE! I guess my memory is not as good as I thought it was. From now on I will pay better attention to which buses I'm riding and write them down. I also need to pay attention to which subway exit on the street I come out of. The first time I was looking for one of the churches I served at. I was so turned around and lost, and finally, I just said a little prayer and walked. Go figure, the spirit took me right to an area I recognized and I quickly found the church 15 minutes later. And last night, all I can say is thank goodness for a super friendly taxi driver! Got home late from Insadong and eating traditional Korean food with friends and couldn't remember which IPark Apartment I live at...I ran out of money at $5 but the taxi driver drove me around for 10 more minutes for free until we could find it! ♥ Bless him!

Heart and Seoul

2011-06-10T03:11:00.001-07:00

It feels like I never left. All of the things that were becoming fuzzy, fading into the oblivion of memory, have zipped forward in time and are now right before me as I roam the city of Seoul. The ladies are still wearing their huge visors and gloves while walking, the subway stairs are still eternally long, the subway announcer voice is still annoying, the smell of fish still permeates the narrow alleys, and the Korean people still get wide-eyed when they hear me speak Korean. I will admit that yesterday, my first night here, I began getting a bit anxious at my huge transplanting of myself. "What have I done?" I couldn't help but think. I am forever and a half away from home! I think the biggest feeling that has continued to arise was the fear of being a missionary--this makes sense because every thing I do here, I have only done as a missionary. But I can't tell you how WONDERFUL it has been today to sit on the subway and not worry about proselyting to the person next to me, to enjoy stopping to look at the cute clothes without feeling guilty for wasting time, to sit in the cell phone shop with a cute guy listening to American music and talking for an hour just because, or to go to the gym this morning and work out for two hours. Yes, missionary work was good, but now, this is my time to enjoy! I interviewed today at two different academies and they both are great and have offered me similar benefits. But I definitely had a better feeling about one over the other, despite a ward member working at the other. I'm going to go with this instinct. I will begin teaching on Monday and move into my own apartment this weekend. It has been wonderful staying with my friend, Yunmi, but sleeping on a bed again instead of the hard wood floor will be a pleasant change :) I also want to only have the food I want in my little studio apartment. I just like the control that will come with that. Nope, I'm NOT keeping kimchi in the fridge. I'll eat it at restaurants, but my fridge will smell like Orange juice, yogurt, and protein shakes. Yup.

My Skype ID is kristyjohunt and my Korean cell phone is +2 (country code) 010.2891.4864.

Family . . . Isn't it about Time?

2011-06-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

I remember as a child strapped into one of the seats of the suburban, attempting to keep the skin on my legs from being pinched by the terrorizing cracked vinyl seating. Shrieks of "Don't touch me!" and whines of "Are we there yet?" seem to permeate my memory most about these road trips. Dad focused on the road while Mom made us meat and cheese sandwiches with mustard and passed around a bag of chips. E.L. Fudges were a special treat and I loved it when she told us we could each have four. That was a lot!!! Yay! The Beach Boys sang their jolly tunes and I never seemed to be able to hear the words--to this day I can only sing along with them the words, "I wanna go home." (Is my memory trying to tell me to stay close to home? Too bad I'm moving half a world away next week... )And then just like that, the Beach Boys tune would fade into the hum of the motor while each of us kids slept awkwardly folded in, on, and around each other. It was usually at that time that the Parentals (as us children have chosen to reverently name the one and only Rod and Patrice Hunt) would chime that it was time to sing. Depending on us kids' age at the time, some of us may have been more jovial than others, and apathetic sighs, groans of disgust, and muted mutterings of "this is so stupid!" spontaneously commenced among the "more mature" passengers in the back of that grand suburban. And then we raised our voices to the competitive speed of "Oh the Zulu King," entwined our voices in the harmonies of "Where do you Buy your Gasoline?" and tested our ability to concentrate in the crazy rounds of "Horsie Horsie." If we got nothing more out of these lovely singing times (which I know I sure got more), each of can carry a tune pretty well.

We drove all over -- California, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma . . . and I don't think any of us will forget the seemingly long (oh wait, they are if you are lost . . . can you say Aloha Stadium? ;)) drive around the island of Oahu. This was time with my family, whom I love so much and consider myself the most blessed girl in the world to have been chosen to be a member of this family.

Did we have a luxury car with trustworthy air conditioning? Nope. Did we have TVs installed in our car so we could ignore the people around us and become entrenched in our own selfish desires? Nope. Did we get to stop and go to the bathroom even if we wanted? Nope. (Just ask Dallin about the pee cup.) But through all of these adventures, I learned some incredible lessons: money can never replace memories, technology cannot replace the joy of true communication (even if strained at times), and patience and some good old-fashioned stamina can make the difference between success and failure in life.

This past weekend, my entire family was together for the first time in . . . a year? Jaimi and her kids flew in from Dallas, we hooked up with Denzel in South Jordan, Brandon and Tannya had just flown in from their vacation in the Philippines, Hans and Amelia drove down from Rexburg, and Dallin, Natalee, the Parentals and myself made our way up North from our blissfully tropical habitat of St. George. We hooted and hollered as Dallin contributed 8 points to his high school rugby championship game and watched them win the game. We ate taco salad at Grandfather and Grandmother's house in Clinton. And we laughed as we took our family pictures in the drizzling rain--(who cares if our hair is frizzy and bloated or limp and flat? We got the picture of us all together!)

My family is very special to me, and I am so grateful for both of my parents' and each of my siblings' role and influence in my life. We are all surprisingly different (stop telling me I look "ethnic" you guys! haha), but such things as the girls and our facial gestures (Hunt "look" #4 coming soon), the guys and their rugged athleticism, and our zealous competitive drive to WIN unite us as one.

We are a forever family.

Oh wait, I meant a 4-ever family. ;)

Progress and a Smile

2011-03-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

I think over the course of the past ten years, I have quit many things I started: I quit five jobs in retail after 2-3 weeks on the job, I quit my summer job in Maine early, I quit my dream to study dietetics at BYU, and I nearly quit my mission early. While I neglect to mention the circumstances surrounding each of these times of throwing in the towel, years of giving up on something slightly jaded me. I have been worried about starting projects, fully knowing I have a tendency to not see it through. And so, for no other reason than my own elation at seeing myself finish some long-spanned projects, I am excited to announce two things:

The successful publishing of a 262-page non-fiction entitled: "Elite Sales Gurus: Unlocking the Minds of America's Youngest and Brightest Summer Sales People." It is available for purchase on amazon.com and authorhouse.com (hardback and paperback); hopefully it will be available at Barnes and Noble soon. This has been in the works since February 2010.

The successful launch of "It's Easy" nutrition workbook and website. The workbook is a 75-day program for living a healthier lifestyle, complete with nutrition and exercise tips. It is available for purchase ($5.99 + SH) at www.itseasylifestyle.com. This project has been in the works since September 2010.

If I have learned anything in my short 23 and 11/12 years, it's that the Lord is King, his plan reigns supreme, and no matter what life throws at you, never, never, NEVER give up! :D

Eshelles Unite!

2011-03-06T20:49:00.001-08:00

It sure was fun having a mini Eshelle reunion at the Eshelle review this weekend. Four out of the five of us seniors who graduated together were there--I always forget their married names, but Ashlye Leavitt, Megan Stanley, and Hayley Frei were there. I know that Hilary Nielsen would have been there but she had a baby this morning! Congrats to her and her husband, Scott! Our timeless former coaches Danielle Johnson and Mindi Matheson were there too and we had fun chit chatting about where our lives have taken us in the past six years. And despite the fact that each of us girls swore we would be the last out of us five to be married, I am the one who won that bet! Ba ha ha ha ha. . .love these girls and am so happy for them and their cute little families!

I love TRUTH!

2011-02-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

While I have been very interested in occasionally attending other churches with friends over the course of the past year, a recent exchange with a friend at dance (who is Christian) led me to a new and exciting adventure! She and I are going to attend 8 different churches over the course of the next 8 weeks to gain a greater respect for the variety of people and beliefs out there. Today was week one at a non-denominational church. It was so neat to be able to be there, meeting new people, loving everyone around me, and rejoicing that we all can look to Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. I enjoyed the sermon and was able to take notes for my further study and understanding into the further truths the restored gospel offers. (FYI I always attend our meetings in addition to the other meetings...) My friend and I enjoyed our time at this church, and next week is the LDS church! It's stake conference and little does she know I'm participating in a musical number ;) Should be a good surprise! My experiences with outside religion has furthered my testimony and my desire to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I continue to gain a more open heart towards my brothers and sisters and not to merely look at them as "members" or "non-members." It's amazing how many more religious conversations have opened up as a result of my knowing about other religions. I'm grateful for this fun, faith-building experience. I know that I belong to the only true church on this earth. I'm so grateful to be a part of it! Bring on the next 7 weeks!!

A Bend in the Road . . .

2011-02-22T17:52:00.000-08:00

Each day I wake up and don't know if I will be able to move effortlessly, or if the each hour will bring a degree of pain that exceeds that of days gone by. Last summer my back, my severely scoliatic back, began giving me sharp pain in the hip opposing the lateral curve of my lumbar. After eight months of chiropractic and acupuncture, I finally gave in to seeing an orthopedic surgeon over Christmas break. The x-ray and update on the progress of the curvature was disheartening. What used to be a 38 degree curve back in 2004 is now a 50 degree curve in 2011. Evidently, the alarm range for seriously contemplating surgery is between 40 and 45. The doctor recommended I have a rod put in my back to prevent further degeneration which is estimated at 1-2 degrees per year. However, after researching the surgery and patients who have received this surgery, I decided to hold off for at least five years. It seems to me that a life of pain and continual degeneration is better than one of pain and ceased degeneration--minus the fun of life (horse back riding, roller coaster riding, and above all, dancing.) Because of this health issue which is invisible to the uninformed eye, I have decided not to do graduate school in dance, even if I get accepted into a program. This has been a difficult decision, but over the past few months, I have gained a greater understanding of what our desires and the Lord's desires are. I have to eliminate my pride. My identity is independent of all that I do and the activities in which I engage. I am Kristy Jo Hunt whether I dance or not, whether I jump, crawl, or run. And if I have learned anything, it's that every day when I wake up, I learn to be grateful for the very small--yet very large--blessing of mobility.

Grad School Audition #1

2011-01-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

I just got back from my short excursion to Tuscon, Arizona where I auditioned for the MFA (Master's of Fine Arts) program in dance at the University of Arizona. This program is ranked in the top ten national dance programs--I was blown away at the prestige of this university's program! Not only does their costume budget alone exceed a choreographer's dream, but they have their very own theater allocated to dance performances only! It was an intense, four-hour long audition. Two hours of ballet--barre and center, one hour of modern, and one hour of jazz. Following those combinations (in which I auditioned with over 100 applicants for the BFA program), I showed a solo to several of the faculty members and had an interview. I will find out in April if I get accepted into the program (which is highly selective, taking only 10 out of 300 for the BFA and 6 out of 35 for the MFA. Regardless of whether I am accepted into this 3-year program or not, I am grateful for the experience and adventure. And as I sat soaking my feet in the hot tub in the 70-degree weather evening air, I had a wave of realization hit me so hard I nearly lost my breath. I must continue pursuing this dream of academic education in dance. I must. I don't care how long it takes--even if I have to get a second Bachelor's degree in dance before getting my MFA and then doctorate--I WILL do this. I am determined.

Home for One Year...

2010-10-21T16:24:00.001-07:00

I have had numerous requests that I update my blog. I must confess, the busier I get, the more I forget about informing the people who I care about what is going on in my life. It's so easy to get sucked into the chaos of schedules, obligations, and necessities. But...I hope that somehow, somewhere, I am making a difference in someone's life! I have been home from my mission ONE YEAR as of October 30. As I look back over the challenges, growth and experiences of the past year, I feel grateful that I have been able to continue on my "mission..." just in ways I never would have expected.

I have been serving as the Relief Society president of my YSA ward for the past three months. What a challenge it has been to balance the priority of church service with my other obligations. I have seen small miracles and felt blessed to be used as the Lord's tool as I have been guided when to "make time" to serve. I definitely have a testimony that I am supposed to be where I am at this point in my life!

Despite being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my English studies (I graduate from DSC with my Bachelor's in May 2011), I am still trying to have a good attitude in all of my classes this semester. Sadly, it is rare that one of my four classes gets me excited, but I suppose that happens near the end when you are finishing up all the required courses. At least I'm not a chemistry major, right? Though my plans are tentative due to the winds of change and hopefully a lasting relationship in the next year or two, I plan on going back to Korea for 6 months to a year to teach English and dance with an amazing company that offered me an internship. Afterward, I will return to Utah and spend a year fulfilling pre-requisites to enter a graduate program of dance. We will see how life turns out...

I am delighted to announce that the first 10 copies of the sales book on the summer sales industry I have been working on for the past nine months are printing this Friday! This weekend, I will also sign a contract to do any further work with my boss -- sequels, movie scripts, audio readings, etc. Hopefully the book will be available on amazon.com, at Borders, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores nation-wide by the first of 2011. What an incredible task this has been! I have learned a lot about myself and my ability to persevere, despite feelings of inadequacy. And if the book sells more than 100 copies, I will sit back and consider it a success.

Prior to last week, I was assisting the Eshelle drill team at Snow Canyon High. My schedule got too busy, and I realized I was not treating my body well. 3-4 hours of sleep a night does not allow a person to soar at their greatest heights! I apologetically stopped coaching, with a promise to go see those wonderful girls occasionally. I love the girls, just can't give what I'd like to! However, I am loving teaching dance at Dance Tracks in St. George and Confidance Studios in Cedar City. It is fun to work with so many young dancers and be reminded of just how far I have come!

I was asked to guest perform as a soloist at the Doc Utah opening gala at Tuacahn, as well as the Homecoming ball. Getting back on the stage has been such a blast, and I am excited for the college dance company's upcoming concert on December 1 and 2. I have choreographed three pieces for this concert, and will be dancing in four pieces. I am also grateful to be dancing with Premier Dance Center's 'God's messengers' group, which will be doing stake fireside tours across Utah in June 2011.

On top of everything else, I am still a gym rat! I love training my clients and helping them attain a better body image and appreciation of self. I feel great that I have just hit my pre-mission weight (FINALLY!) after one year of extreme hard work and dedication to my training and nutrition.

I am so grateful to be living at home until I graduate in May--it has been a big blessing to be near my parents (as well as free rent--I wouldn't be able to do all I do without this gift!) and Dallin and I have had some good times! I sure love my family and am grateful for their support in my crazy life. Someday, I'll figure out what it is I want to do. Until then, I'll keep doing it all! Life sure is good :)

Lactic Acid...I love you

2010-07-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

I woke up earlier than intended this morning in my hotel room and nearly gasped at the stabbing pain located all over my body. Lactic acid build-up is a good thing, I keep telling myself. After all, I basically sent the torturous villain a gold-embossed invitation to come on over. However, like Gloria Gaynor so famously sang, "I WILL SURVIVE!" The last few days have been spent teaching at an all-day dance camp. It has been a lot of fun to work with so many girls. These are the classes I have taught every day:
*Warm up and conditioning
*Advanced ballet technique
*Military routine
*Advanced turns and leaps
*Tricks and Stunts
*Advanced Kick technique
*Healthy dancers nutrition course
*What judges want informative course
On my lunch and dinner breaks, I head over to Gold's Gym. Like I said, my body is LOVING this. One of my favorite quotes by Vince Lombardi reads as follows: "The good Lord gave you a body that can withstand most everything; now it is your mind you have to convince." How true is that statement! Our bodies are the vehicle to live a quality life--and the exercise and nutrients we feed it are the necessary 'pit stops' for our luxury vehicles. Without them, we break down! On my drive to camp, I was listening to an incredible talk tape about gaining more energy and personal power, and heard a great idea that has really helped in giving me more energy.

Do this 5x, 3x a day...or just when you think of it ;)
The ratio of breathing is 1:4:2
For example: Inhale through your nose for 4 counts; Hold that breath for 16 counts; Exhale through your mouth for 8 counts. Take several deep breaths afterward before beginning again. It's AMAZING how oxygen is the key to our bodily cells 'waking up' when we're tired. This has really been a big benefit to me for only 3 days...try it out and see what it does for you!

Way to work it out!

2010-07-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

It's about time for an update! Life is pretty crazy right now, and trying to figure out what on earth I want to do in life is virtually impossible for me. And so with my personality, I say, 'If I can't decide, I'll just do it all!' I've been attempting to do it all for nearly a month and a half and am nearly burned out, crawling to the finish line where I hope it will all be worth it. So here's the run down on my waking hours these days:

Personal Training: I love working with my clients at Anytime Fitness and watching them hit their goals. It definitely helps re-motivate me every day to hit my own fitness goals.
Teaching Dance: I teach twice a week at Confidance Studio (formerly known as Dance Tracks Studio). I only work with the older girls--never thoroughly enjoyed teaching the little girls, as cute as they are :)
Coaching Drill: Life as an assistant coach is much less stressful than being head coach, yet still a lot of time commitment. The girls are doing great, and I think we will be very competitive this year.
School: This summer semester is my third to last semester until I graduate with my undergrad in English--Professional and Technical Writing. I've decided to stay at Dixie, where I will graduate the quickest and be able to get on with my life.
Private Swim/Dance: I teach private dance and swim lessons to several clients...lots of fun to work one-on-one with people.
Choreography: Doing lots of private choreography for several teams and individuals.
Piano: Initially started taking lessons again from Dr. Dean, which I loved, but got too busy. However, I have three new pieces added to my repertoire!
Marathon Training: Doing my best to stick to the schedule...I hate to say it, but I still dread long runs. Running is not FUN. But it sure is good psychological training and a good way to burn those calories!
Sales Book: In the editing process and set for publication early September!
Dating: Hmmmm...let's not touch that one! ;)

In the midst of all of this, I have realized the only source of real strength and energy is going to the temple once a week. As I was sitting there last week, the lady next to me started talking to me. We came to the quiet conclusion that temple attendance TRULY is the key to staying on track. I have found this to be true! In the midst of a busy life, keeping perspective of WHY we do it is key. And weekend vacations are sanity checks :)

If I'm not breathing after finals next week, please don't resuscitate me... :)

I Wrote A Book!!!

2010-06-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I have not posted for a long time! Just wanted to say that it feels really good to have the book about my mission finished and in print! Although I have read through it so many times, just a few days ago, I picked it up to check a page for a grammar error and ended up reading to the end. I couldn't put it down! (haha, no bias whatsoever ;)) If anyone wants a copy, feel free to stop by the house with $7 (for printing costs) or mail me a check for $10 (includes shipping fees). My house address is 2859 Canyon View Dr. Santa Clara, UT 84765.

Jennie Toronto

2010-05-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

One of my mission companions, Jennie Marie Toronto, came to St. George for a few days, and I had a wonderful time with her! Besides the list of great things we did together: horse back riding, cooking Korean food, laying out, going to church, staying up late talking, taking silly pictures, etc., I was so grateful to have the time with her and remember lessons I learned from her during our time in Korea.

Jennie is the most down-to-earth person I know. She is so confident in who she is. Nothing anybody thinks can change her. She was a collegiate volleyball player and has the strength of a lion. Whenever we wrestled as tension got high, I always lost. If it had been anyone else, my ego would be deflated. But Jennie is strong. And I'll give her that. Her interpretive dancing skills are second only to mine, and she gives the best massages. Rarely do I see her without a smile. She has the most contagious laugh. But the thing I respect most about Jennie is her desire to help others. She has the most giving and unselfish heart of anyone I know. Everything about her proficiently emits an aura of unselfishness and genuine concern for others. She will go out of her way to make the most bitter, conniving, pitiful person smile and become her friend. And she does.

I want to be like Jennie Toronto.

Back in St. George!!

2010-04-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Finals now only a memory of the past but knowledge of my GPA disintegration still pending, I am now enjoying the end of my first week back in sunny St. George! How I longed to come back and be with my family and this week has truly fulfilled all anticipated joy! Not only do I have a queen sized bed and ready-to-eat meals, but there is always someone to talk to. That is a commodity never to be taken for granted again following a mission on foreign soil.

My 23rd year of life on this earth began yesterday and the time driving to and from Parowan to judge a dance competition (the best way to spend birthdays is making great money!) gave me the opportunity to reflect on where I am at and where I am going. 23, for some odd reason, feels like the threshold where I cross from "young-adult" life into "adult life." I reckon this is merely an illusion of my mind based on the fact that I am still ineligible to rent a car on my own.

I'm so excited for what looks like one year in St. George to accomplish my goals and fulfil all of my endeavors! Being assistant coach for the Eshelles, publishing my sales book, publishing and distributing my non-fiction book, training for the STG Marathon, working as a personal trainer, graduating with my Bachelor's in English, and getting ready for grad school! Looks like this year in the classy STG will be great!

Fun in the STG

2010-04-13T23:24:00.001-07:00

With only one week left in the what I now deem "retarded weather Provo," I sure did enjoy a weekend getaway to the STG! Not only was the weather incredible, but it was a small Hunt family reunion! Horseback riding was beautiful, and it was fun to have my friend from the MTC, Tanner, come along too. Sunday brought with it a mouthwatering roast beef dinner, complete with BISCUITS (mogli that!), spitting milk all over the kitchen table when Mom said a funny funny, singing around the piano, and jumping on the trampoline. I felt like I was young again! (Since I am getting so old...I turn 23 in a short 10 days...). On to a focused week of studying and taking final exams, and then I'm back to St. George for the summer! Hooray for scalding seatbelts and sweat beads that form on your forehead before you take your second step outside. But, hey, who's complaining? I'll take dry heat over Korea's humidity any day!!!!

Writing Blurb

2010-04-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's time I take a moment to record my feelings about the writing process...

With most of the interviews conducted and only one radio show left to do, the sources from which I glean most aspects of the text from are complete and catalogued. This has been a humongous LOAD OFF the shoulders of one who thrives on organization.

A blinking cursor is still my worst enemy.

Thesaurus.com is still my beacon in the foggy night.

The most gratifying feeling is hitting the send button on an email containing a completed chapter for my boss to receive...then receiving a text of praise following his reading of it...

Watching my huge poster hanging on the wall of my bedroom (which contains sticky notes and memos for every chapter) change appearance as check marks appear on finished chapters and sections.

1/3 done...and still excited about it! (on good days...)

RM Bonfire

2010-03-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

The trip was filled with unsolicited Taco Bell stops, incessant missed exits, lethal oil rigs, and highways that only go to Park City. I guess that's what happens when you get a bunch of RMs together in one car and let the ex-ZL drive! We had a bunch of laughs though and it was so great catching up with so many of the elders. We had a bonfire (note: it was a FIRE, if you notic the pic, but bonfire just sounds cooler!) and roasted hot dogs and smores. It was a blast!

Becoming Like Christ

2010-03-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

This week I have been contemplating about something Elder Bednar talked about last week with my parents and I. It has hit me especially hard as I drive to and from obligatory appointments and class and strive not to numb the spirit, but to enhance it by listening to church music. Talk about an "upper" in the middle of the day when I need it most!

Elder Bednar said, "We learna and grow until our words become Christ's words, our thoughts become His thoughts, His actions become our actions." Only in this way can we keep our hearts soft. The instant our heart turns from emulating our Master, our heart begins the process of hardening. The longer the duration we are turned from Christ, the more difficult it is to turn back to Him.

In Helaman 5:12, Helaman tells his sons to remember who their foundation is...Christ. He becomes the foundation of our lives as we become like Him. That is the protection from the fiery darts of the devil...that we are so focused on acting as Christ might, that the adversary cannot "drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo." The more covenants we make with God, the closer we bind ourselves to Christ. Protections is in those covenants. Safety is in obedience.

Scriptures that caught my attention:

"...withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Alma 37:33)

"...professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of His gospel." (4 Nephi 1:27)

Rendezvous in Rexburg!

2010-03-18T21:40:00.001-07:00

I had a great time having a "pretend Spring Break" in Rexburg! This is probably the only time in my life that I would be able to get away with missing classes and not have it affect me. Besides that, I'm not tied to a certain place with my job! Between St. Patty's Day parties with Amelia and her roommates, photo shoots with Natalee, getting spit up on by Nikki, and attending business seminars with Brandon, I realized BYU-Idaho is a pretty incredible place and was convinced by Aunt Sue to put in my application for the fall. What a great recruiter she is! (Go figure...she's married to the President of the university!) Tomorrow night is Amelia's "Battle of the Dance" that she is director of, and I get to be her stage manager. Then, it's off to Provo to test out of 16 Korean credits early Saturday morning. What a great Spring Break!!!!

Another Homecoming!

2010-03-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

How I love to see my friends from my mission! There is nothing like sharing additional time with those who spent the hardest and most spiritual times in my life! I took a car of them up for the homecoming of one of the Elders I respect the very most. It was worth the drive to Draper just to see the shock and happiness on his face when the five of us walked into the foyer, a few minutes late. I know that feeling...coming home to such a foreign environment. Although the faces are familiar, they are distant due to the separating agent of time. What I would have given to see people from my mission at my Homecoming!

Dansport Competition

2010-03-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

Me with Zach, my Paso Doble partner, and Jason, my Samba partner.

The Dansport competition at BYU was a great opportunity to showcase the mad skills I've been working on developing with my partners! Both routines went reall well, for the parts we had control over. However, Jason and I were rudely crashed into by another couple during our qualifying heat of the Samba, and it completely threw us off, resulting in an unexpected finish with that heat. No quarterfinals for us. Lots of work put in to be shut down just like that, but champions are not made when they're handed the trophy, they're made in the hours of sweat and hard work they put in.

We were silly enough to forget to take a picture...

2010-03-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Lunch with the Bednars

2010-03-09T20:40:00.001-08:00

Today was such an incredibly spiritual day. After being invited, my parents and I went to the church administration building to visit with Elder Bednar and his wife. We were sent up to his office on the third floor and waited in the reception area until he walked out, shaking each of our hands. It seemed like no time had passed since I had been looking up at him from the make-shift front row in the Yeongdong chapel in Korea.

He invited us into his office where my parents and I sat on a couch and were able to visit with him for nearly 45 minutes. He had a few questions for me regarding a few missing threads in his knowledge of all that had taken place in my little miracle in Korea. I then was able to ask him a few questions as well. Talk about a spiritual feast! I wish I had a tape recorder that I could have set on the corner table. The spirit was so incredibly strong, and the peace of feeling incredibly close to heaven was engulfing. Whenever I have the opportunity to recall and retell details of what all took place, I am overwhelmed by our Heavenly Father’s great love for each of His children.

Sister Bednar came in twenty minutes after we did, and I enjoyed being able to talk as well. It was a very intimate and personal experience. I was also amazed at how comfortable I felt in their presence—just like being with family.

After we finished talking, the Bednars escorted us down to the General Authority lunch room (a very nice little foyer) where we ate some delicious food and were in the presence of many incredible men of God. Elder Evans (another important figure in my story) just happened to be eating in there at the time, saw me, and came over to shake my hand. “It’s great to see you again,” he said. “You look fabulous.” How could I help but smile? In the middle of our lunch discussion, Elder Nelson came over to our table to introduce himself. We all stood to shake his hand. What a cool feeling to have Elder Bednar introduce my parents and I to another apostle of the Lord. He thanked me for what I did as a missionary in Korea.

During the course of our lunch, my parents and I counted that we were in the presence of EIGHT of the twelve apostles! As we said our goodbyes to the Bednars, my parents and I were walking down the empty hallway toward the entrance to the parking garage. Out of nowhere, a tall man came at a good clip out of an adjoining hall, nearly running into me. I didn’t realize who it was until I heard his voice. “Woah, sorry!” he said, his voice deep, but friendly. Then in response to seeing my dad with my mom on one arm and me on the other, he said, “Wow, he’s got one on both arms!” I then realized we were in the presence of President Monson. He smiled, obviously in a hurry, then waved with a smile as he said, “Have a good day.” We could not believe our good fortune!

More important and cool than being around so many incredible men and leaders of our church was the very sweet, gentle spirit we were able to enjoy as we soaked in the teachings of Elder Bednar. I truly know each of these men are called of the Lord, who rules in the heavens and is closer than we know. I have felt His love. I have felt His power.

Kristy sings Korean pop song

2010-03-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

This is an elder from my mission and me singing a really popular Korean pop song for our Korean class talent show. It was pathetic, but funny. It's a rap song that is about 10 times faster than we sing it. If our accompaniast wouldn't have lost a few sheets of music, the transitions would have been a lot better! And if we had mics!

My roommate's mission call

2010-03-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

My roommate, Elizabeth, came running into the apartment tonight with her mission call in her hand, waving it back and forth with a big smile on her face. It took me a minute to register what it was, and then I got excited too! She is from Oakland, CA, so of course she wouldn't be able to open it with her family. (no fun!) She called a bunch of friends while I ran to the store and got the stuff to make strawberry shortcake. And I'm so glad I did! She had 15 friends show up! I smiled when everyone started asking if someone should take a picture or something...I was already on it. I love playing mom :) No, I just know that this was a special time for her! We all held our breath while she opened the white envelope and began reading. "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary in the...

Oakland, California mission. HER HOMETOWN! She will be in the visitor's center and speaking Spanish. Her face was hilarious. Poor girl, her family just laughed. Still exciting though!

fun weekend in the STG!!

2010-02-28T21:45:00.001-08:00

It was so nice to have my orthodontist appointment as an excuse to spend a weekend at home! Some of the activities I enjoyed included:
Horseback riding in the rain
running at night with mom
watching movies with appendix-less Dallin
dancing in the living room while Harrison jammed on the guitar
going to the Vistor's Center
spending time with Goldilu
watching "Dear John"
eating a yummy steak dinner!

It was a weekend well spent!!!

My friend Mae...

2010-02-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

Remember my dear friend Mae?(the old woman I met by picking her up as she was hitchhiking one day in January) Today I made beef stew that simmered in the crockpot all day long. It was so delicious I decided to take her a tupperware of it and visit. She was grateful for the unexpected dinner. While we were talking, she brought out a huge manila envelope filled with letters, which she wanted me to see. She is always talking about when President Hinckley said this to her, or President Monson said this...and I always thought she was just blowing smoke. Well, it turns out that Mae has written each of the general authorities on their birthday and after each general conference address to wish them well and thank them for what she learned from them. She has embroidered white handkerchiefs with their names on them for them to use in temple dedications--one of which was documented as being used in the Vegas temple dedication in 1989 by Elder Ballard. I read letters for over a half an hour from the prophets and apostles: President Hunter, Hinckley, Monson, Eyering, Uchtdorf, Elders Packer, Perry, Haight, Maxwell, Nelson, Scott, Oaks, Cook, Ballard, Holland. The list goes on and on. Reading the letters was so uplifting and special to see that, even though they were probably generated by secretaries and merely signed, that Mae was cared about enough to get so many responses!

Another interesting fact about Mae... she contributes over $1,000 every year to Primary Children's Hospital from the money she makes gathering aluminum cans every morning on her walks. This woman is amazing and I feel it such a privilege to know her!

Nearly 4 months later

2010-02-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Call me ancient, call me a zoobie, call me whatever you want. I have been home from Korea nearly 4 months and am enjoying the aftermath of having served a mission in such a unique and foreign land...namely, going to Korean club parties, eating food that I can only dream about now, and hang out with missionaries I was barely allowed to talk to while set apart! :) There definitely are some perks to going to BYU: 1. almost everyone that served in my mission lives in Provo 2. I can call people zoobies and it's funny (to be honest, I just learned that word a few weeks ago and feel quite cultured now that I know how to use it...for those of you who DON'T know what a zoobie is, it is a student at BYU who is the gung-ho RM, smiling 24-7, wearing church clothes and focused on finding that one and only EC (eternal companion). 3. There are so many Koreans on BYU and UVU campus--as well as in the grocery store--that I love to shock by initiating a converstaion.

These days, I am loving life without my chemistry class! I am floating at 13 credits, all of which don't apply to my major (sigh), but possibly could be my pre-requisites for my Master's if I decide to even continue in the direction of Dietetics. With my new job as a ghost writer, I am really starting to love English again and visualizing a future as a free-lance writer. Or potential fiction author! I think it would be fun to start a documentation of the things that are going well and the frustrations of writing a book! With that said...

This week's frustration: Trying to decide whether to self-publish or snag a publisher. They both have their positive and negative side, but where we want to make it to the top of the NY Times Best Seller's List, it seems getting a publisher is the best way to go. Anyone know a great literary agent???

This week's success: Completing a successful interview of my boss and getting enough information to come from a good angle when writing his background.

3 hoorays for writers: Hooray for drink breaks every ten minutes, Hooray for a blinking cursor, Hooray for an online thesaurus!

My sisters,..

2010-02-10T22:36:00.000-08:00

This is a depiction of a crazy Saturday morning at Denny's with Mil and Nat. We made friends with the old man eating by himself across the room, as well as jammed out to Lil' John with the windows down at 8 in the morning. I miss my sisters already! :)

Manna from Heaven

2010-02-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

So after three months of waiting and praying and applying and certifying and doing everything in my power, I finally got the dream job I could not have described more perfectly to Heavenly Father even if I'd tried! He got all the details just right! Because I am a certified personal trainer, I really wanted to work at a gym and was actually going into Gold's Gym in American Fork for an interview this week. However, last Friday I was thumbing through the campus newspaper and found an ad for a ghost writer on a book. Mildly interested, I decided to give the guy a call to get more information. I went in on Monday and talked with him for an hour, at the end of which he handed me a flash drive with 18 hours worth of interviews he's conducted on his radio show, and told me I was hired! I work from home, am paid a good hourly wage, + commission once the book comes out (great incentive to write well, huh!) I get to expand my English resume, leading me to wonder if I shouldn't consider heading down that road permanently...? The great thing is, I don't need to make that decision now! We are shooting for a summer publication date and I am so grateful I spent the two months after my mission writing my OWN book, so I already have that experience! Now we're shootin' for the stars...or merely the New York Times Best Seller's list...mogli that!

Updating...downdating...dating in general:)

2010-01-31T20:07:00.000-08:00

Another week has come and gone...furiously treading water to keep my head afloat in chemistry, prepare for my Rumba class competition on Wednesday, and the climax of the week... weekend dating :)

Friday night date:
Garrett, a junior at UVU studying digital media, is the friend of my date from last week. He called Wedneday to book my Friday. I was not too impressed to begin with as the date began based on his fo-hawk (how do you even spell that?) that ran all the way from forehead to neck. He ordered me to wait in the car so he could get my door. We had an hour of serious bowling in which our averages were 150. We ended up tying. Then as we sat and talked over frozen yogurt, the fact that he is a year younger than me just sealed it. There would not be date #2. So when the "follow up" text came the next day saying he had fun and wanted to take me out again, I just sighed.

Saturday night date:
Steve, a senior at BYU studying manuacturing, was my date with a big group. He is 6'4" and super duper skinny, but drives the most amazing silver Porsche. I was drooling as he opened the door for me to get in. The subs work great too! And that car is dang fast. I guess he started his own business after his mission manufacturing railroad ties made from tire... interesting. We ate at Goodwood BBQ and he ordered prime rib--medium rare. It was AMAZING!! We played games, ate bazookies, and watched YouTube movies at his very nice apartment afterward. I was pleasantly surprised that he got cuter as the night went on. He's got a great personality. Two of the other girls on the blind date had gotten home before I did, so were in the apartment across from mine watching the door scene through the peephole, I was told afterward. Their dates hadn't asked for their numbers afterward, so when Steve pulled out his phone and got mine, they knew it was a success. Woot woot. Bring on date #2?

Any opinions????

Someone's Going To Die...

2010-01-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

The lovely dating life in Provo...sometimes feels like EFY and teenage hormones bouncing off the walls as I walk across campus. Lucky for me, my trusted sister, whom I will not name for confidentiality, ha, vowed to find me someone cool to hang out with. Wednesday of this week brought an anonymous guy texting me, saying he knew Natalee and he found out I was new to Provo. We shared a few texts, and he said he decided to take me with him to a Rock-Indie Concert Saturday night. For starters, I thought that meant something cultural, like music from India. Good thing we didn't end up going to that because I would have been sorely disappointed!

I opened the door to my apartment to greet my date for the night when my jaw almost hung wide open. What was my sister thinking? There stood a 5'7" male, with a face that looked as if he hadn't matured past the 8th grade, not to mention the bull-cut. It took great restraint to not shut the door again.

We ended up going to one of his friend's places where we played the classic BYU game of Apples to Apples. I used to like that game when I played it with my family, until I found out every apartment in Provo has one and it is the prestigious way to prove your intellect to your date.
Fortunately, there was a nice guy there that I talked to for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, he is not my type with his beard, obvious lack of fitness aspirations, and seemingly laid-back/don't care personality.
Fortunately, I only needed someone to talk to for the remainder of the night. Unfortunately, he got my number from the original date and wants to take me out.

Gotta love this game...

The Nursing Home...

2010-01-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

So with life being up in the air and feeling tossed and blown about with every wind that's blown in my general direction, I feel like I need something constant...not necessarily a rigid responsibility, but more of a rigid act of performing service weekly. In addition to my new frind Moe Roberts, I decided to start volunteering at Provo Care, an assisted-living center for about 30 individuals. Today was my first day and I met Jackie, Marie and Angela. We played Connect 4 and did a Spiderman puzzle for an hour before I had to go. They were so great! Jackie totally threw me every time he put a little disk in the game, because one eye was lookin' at me and the other somewhere else. MadEye Moody really does exist!! ;) Then Angela, though she has down syndrome, has the most smartalc comments I've ever heard. Then, Marie...she taught me something called "The Happy Dance." It is my new favorite dance move and I added it to my stash of good moves to pull out when trying to impress people. It consists of putting your arms to your sides, smiling ridiculously, and rocking back and forth. I'm pretty sure I loved it. My three new friends now know what "pound it" means, and I think by next time, will get the hang of it and not try to pummel me with their knuckles every time I say it. haha...good stuff!

I will always remember the night in Korea when I was on the streets with my companion, Sister Toronto, and the greatest wave of realization hit me. It was so strong I almost shouted it at Sister Toronto.
"I KNOW HOW TO FIND HAPPINESS. I AM HAPPY WHEN I SERVE OTHER PEOPLE!!!!"
We learn that every week at church don't we??? haha, funny that it's true...

End of Week 2 in Happy Valley

2010-01-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I just finished reading Mil's last post, and I wonder how on earth we are sisters...? Props to her for being so social and willing to put herself out there because I am so...not. Who knows if it's just getting home from the mish, (come on, REALLY, should I be awkward? AND 2.5 months is like, eternity!!), but my desire to reach out, be social, engage in the college scene and all that mumbo jumbo escaped my heart before I was even born.
I had a really nice 24 hour getaway to the parental's house and back; drove down Wednesday afternoon, did chemistry homework that night, had my orthodonist appointment the next morning, then made it up to Provo for my afternoon classes. They bonded on braces to my "way way back there molars" so I am officially completely wearing braces. With rubber bands yanking my teeth and jaw around, as well as having torn flesh for cheeks, despite using wax, pain is something making me even less social! I don't want to talk to anyone! I'm starving, yet can only eat soups, yogurts, and other soft things! What a headache, and no pun intended!
I just finished an hour long "math review" class, took my chemistry micorexam, which I did miserably on, despite the many hours I put into studying and preparing. Whose stupid idea was school anyway?
Ballroom had me all sorts of sweaty and disoriented from being thrown around in the Pasa Doble...(it's the dance that is supposed to depict as matador and his cape), but the good news is I found a partner for the Dansport competition in March! Hooray! The pickings were getting really slim. My partner's name is Zach, he has red hair, and is a bubble of energy...totally reminds me of Ty (Mil knows who I'm talking about!)
What else...last night I got invited to go play water basketball with a bunch of people...1. I had a date with the gym 2. me in a swimsuit in front of guys...no thanks 3. I don't do things spur of the moment 4. I gracefully declined. So I went to the gym, then went home and watched last week's epidsode of Biggest Loser while finishing up homework.
Oh...one last thing...I can't STAND the jargon used here...last night as I was on the elliptical, two girls were exchangin stories in their high-pitched annoying fake voices, this is the conversation...
"So, that guy called you to hang out, right?"
"Yeah! So I just went over there for a sec and we talked and stuff. But I was so bugged cause he didn't even ask me to HUGGLE!"

Um...so based on the rest of the conversation, I came to find out this means Hug and Cuddle. Can you say OH MY...!

Happy Valley...lovin' it.

A poor wayfaring woman...

2010-01-11T19:19:00.000-08:00

This morning in my prayer, I asked Heavenly Father to give me the eyes to see who needed my help today. We had some great lessons on service yesterday, and I wanted to do something to improve. Well, little did I know I would actually get the chance!

I was on the phone with a friend and running errands, and was pulling out of a parking lot when I passed an old, hunched over, shaking woman. To be honest, she looked crazy and I saw her thumb up in the air indicating she needed a ride. Her clothing was tattered and old, quite obviously a bum. I intended to drive right on past when I stopped, about 20 meters past her. I backed up, rolled down the window, and asked where she needed to go. "Home," she said. She started to get in and I thought, okee dokee! I guess I'll give her a ride!

I drove her to her home on the other side of Provo and was surprised to find she was not as senile as I thought, lived alone, had no family, and seems to have known President Hinckley pretty well. She told so many stories about him; they could be pretend, but who's to say? I helped her into her house, got her mail, and as she was getting settled inside, she spazzed out as she realized she had gotten a bill in the mail. Well, this woman is ON TOP OF THINGS, so we went to Wells Fargo, got a money order, went to the post office, and got that bill taken care of. Now, this seems like a quick trip, but we walked at the speed of snails together, her leaning on me for support. An hour and a half later, my errands had not been completed, I was late to the gym where I was meeting my friend, but as I pulled away from Moe Robert's house, a card in her hand with my name and number for anytime she needed a ride, I guess I can say I felt pretty good.

Yesterday, I quite vividly remember when someone said the phrase, "Service is never convenient." Nope. It wasn't. But would I have done it for the Savior? You bet. And you know what? I'd do it again for Moe Roberts.

Are you ready to pump some iron??

2010-01-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Woot woot! Yesterday I passed the personal training exam I've been studying for since I got home from Korea! So now I am certified and will try to work at a gym or something, we'll see where I can get hired on!

Day 2 at BYU

2010-01-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well...my first day at BYU was a nightmare. I bombed my ballroom audition, seeing as I just got off a mission, didn't know the routine everyone was auditioning with, and had ZERO confidence in what I was doing. Nerves caused my body to rain sweat, despite the frigid temperatures I had to face while booking it up that STUPID hill to my nutrition class...which ended up being genetics...? Why did they change the name of the class? After five minutes of sitting there, not wanting to walk out for fear of looking stupid, I finally decided it would be better to get to the class I was SUPPOSED to be in. So I left and looked stupid walking out, I'm sure. Because I was late to class, I stayed to talk to the professor and help him understand I'm not a slacker and that I would be is best student, which made me late for Korean, which was clear across campus. I walked in five minutes late, several of the missionaries I served with in Seoul laughing, and then stumbled through my self-introduction in Korean, even though I am very confident speaking in Korean. How embarrassing! Following that class, I ended up in an English class, yes, late again! The Professor had finished the roll and read through the waiting list, and I was not on the waiting list. I quickly blurted out that I had e-mailed him, so luckily was bumped up to #1 on the waiting-to-add list. Hallelujah! Something went right! My day was about to end, finally, when I went to New Testament. Now, this is a class of 120 students! I couldn't believe it! I was really excited, until I found out we have to read the four gospels by next FRIDAY! Wow. BYU is intense. I thought my first day could not have gone any worse.

BUT...like Amelia said, there is a rainbow waiting behind every storm. I found out today I actually made the ballroom class! MIRACLE! So I'm really excited about that! It's an upper division International Latin class. Classes went better, I had a really fun three hour lab where we did all this sensory taste testing...yes, it was very professional where we sat in a booth with a flip box and computer. We answered questions on the screen while tasting things, identifying...it was a little tickle for my brain! One of my mission buddies is now going to lift with me so we can make fun of all the dumb girls at the gym together, and besides the fact that only ONE of my English classes from DSC will transfer to BYU, life is looking better!

Let's see what day 3 brings!

New Year's Eve

2010-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Coming back from a mission = most friends have married
Recent move to Provo = don't know too many people
Calls to people I do know = everyone has plans
Option = Spend New Year's alone

And you know what? I had a great time with my good friends Me, Myself and I.

*Delicious Korean dinner at Sam Hawk's for one: Kimchi Chigae (stew), rice, egg, potatoes, and of course, more kimchi...
*Movie for one: Sherlock Holmes...it was the only one playing at that time. The previews had looked lame, but it turned out to be not so bad. Kind of like watching "The Mentalist" but back in the day.
*24 oz. Hot Chocolate from 7-Eleven: Talk about overdose, but at least I stayed warm!
*Dodging truck full of guys who wanted me to pull over: well, I know Denz did it, but...haha
*Watching the PVC pipe ball drop in Provo Towne Center Mall parking lot and then watching fireworks from my car with oldies music blaring from the radio: best part of the night!

Moral of the story: IT'S OK TO BE ALONE. YOU'RE NOT A LOSER! YOU'RE A MORE CONFIDENT PERSON BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. YOU MAKE YOU HAPPY! CHEERS!

Kristy...Featured On Ice

2009-12-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

Definitely blogworthy...so I park underneath my condo in a group underground parking pit that brings back fond memories of Seoul and New York City with its two feet wide parking stalls. It takes about an eight point turn to even park the son of a gun car properly! Anyhow, a thick blanket of that white stuff, approximately 6 inches to be exact, lay innocently on the inclined section of road that I must drive up to get out of the parking garage. I sat just inside the edge of the garage, pondering about how I was going to do this. The grade was just steep enough that I was having some doubts, you see. Finally, I decided to slowly ease my way up as to not slide out of control into either sides of the line of condos that lined the slope.
Attempt #1: Failed miserably. I made it 1/4 of the way up before my tires spun, and I sighed and flipped into reverse, easing my way back into the safety of the garage. I looked at my tire tracks and decided to go for a second try.
Attempt #2: Failed just shy of miserably. Following my previously made tracks, I thought I might get further. I didn't. I am a quick learner, aren't I?!
Attempt #3: After giving the car a bit more gas, I followed my tracks, then at halfway up the hill, hit the clean snow, locked up, and slid back to my haven. Gosh, I am REALLY good at reversing!!!
Attempt #4: OK, now this was starting to get me frustrated and even embarrassed. What if someone was watching? Wow, you'd think I'm from the STG or something... I gunned it and made it 3/4 of the way up the hill. Pumped from the extra gain, I decided #5 just had to be it, or I was ditching the gym. So much for trying to get back into shape after the mish!
Attempt #5: With all the focus and concentration I could muster, I eyed my nemesis, the embankment of snow, now covered in tire tracks, and murmured under my breath, you're going to die, clown,gunned it, and...slid out to victory on top!!! I pumped my fist in the air and let out my victory yell.
Yes, Kristy Jo Hunt CAN drive in the snow! ;)

Life in Provo Begins!

2009-12-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

Finally, after dreaming from the time I was in kindergarten through three years of needing to be at Dixie then another setback of a year and a half by a mission, I am going to BYU! And,(because it's just BYU and everyone and their dog goes there, you have to understand that a lifetime dream doesn't get any smaller simply because "everyone's doing it." hehee all that matters is if I'M doing it! Hellooooooo!
I decided to move into my little condominium a day early because Dad, Mom and Dallin were jettin' back down to the STG, which proved to be a wise decision since the following day, today, brought torrents of fluffy white stuff that I asked a girl at the gym and she said it's called snow. Ahhh...that's right. I've heard of it a time or two. It was nice to look at until I got in the car and tried to close the gap between point A, the gym, and point B, home, or whatever you want to call the place where I crash at night. The first thing I noticed was that wiping snow off the windows is MUCH easier than scraping the heck off the glass, trying to elimanate the shards of misery Jack left with his nightly rendezvous. Fine powder just danced its cheerful way into the next stage it would go through, the stage where its pure self gets whammed and pureed into black mousse. Poor little guys!
As for the condo...not bad at all! I think I'll be liking it here. Well, perhaps that's because my roommates haven't showed up yet. Other than some deep cleaning in the kitchen I'm going to get done in the next few days before they get back, they're going to not be liking me..."Um, guys, how 'bout we clean out this junk? Is this yours? I didn't think so. Is this yours? Get it outta here..." I can see it already. But the super-organized, OCD, color-coordinated closet Kristy is back! The mish required I put it on hold for a bit, but she's back and she's happy to be here!
We can't forget about the $20 bookshelf I bought at Wal-mart that I, with all my wisdom and might constructed on the shy side of two hours. Yes, the instructions were pictures only, and I am a VERBAL learner. A few raw edges are showing, but I stuck it in a corner where no one can see. Besides, the nice thing about the Honor Code at BYU is that guys can't see what a disaster I made out of wood. It holds books though!
Over and out,

BYU co-ed #5,782,001.

One Proud Gomo!

2009-12-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

I am now the proud gomo (auntie in Korean, of course!) of one nephew and now a niece!! Ben and Nikki!!!! I still have not seen either but am so excited for their parents. Jaimi and Mike, and Brandon and Tannya are great parents already, and I'm glad I get to be a bit behind in the scene to learn from their sucesses and mistakes :) love you guys!!

Is this Seoul?

2009-12-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

Spraying fountains, cleverly designed red rocks, and crisp blue skies...mmmmm, that sounds like a nice park in the middle of Seoul! On my way to the city library to study, I was enticed by the possiblity that perhaps, just perhaps, if I ventured over to the fountain area of Historic Downtown, it might feel like I was back in Seoul. I sauntered over to a metal table and sat down, pulling out my books and laying them on the table. My eyes soaked in the surroundings and I let my breath escape. No, this was not Seoul. It never would be. But, it was my hometown. It was St. George, Utah. Seoul could have never been St. George and St. George could never be Seoul. And so, yet another lesson to enjoy what you've got, while you've got it!

favorite thing today...

2009-12-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

Mom told me as I was leaving the kitchen that the gingerbread dough Dallin and I had made earlier was ready to be baked. And so, I hastily went into the study, where Dallin was working on the computer. I announced, "the gingerbread is done!" and he stood, his face lit up with excitement. He went to push past me but I said, "stop! We have to do the gingerbread dance first!" We proceeded to do the gingerbread dance, which for those of you who are so out of the loop as to not know what the gingerbread dance is, you move your hips in all directions, shake, then hit a final pose on the last beat of the chant while keeping the arms moving in robotic movements. Tha chant goes as follows:
The gingerbread is done!
The gingerbread is done!
Repeat until energy is exhausted.
However, in the midst of doing our gingerbread dance, the bookshelf containing many frames and collectibles that was standing a mere one foot from us began shaking and nearly everything tipped over. It seems there were little items feeling left out of the gingerbread dance. The moral of the story: Are YOU going to be left out of the gingerbread dance this Christmas season?

Language Immersion

2009-12-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working on John Grisham's "The Broker," which tells the story of a man who gets a pardon from the President and forced to become immersed in the Italian culture as part of a plan to "keep him safe..." It has been quite fun for me to relive a lot of experiences in dealing with a new culture, language, food, etc. I've gained an even greater appreciation for how far I came in adjusting to the amazing land of Korea. Here is a paragraph I particularly liked...

"Marco found it difficult to enjoy a fine meal when his brain was working overtime to hear, grasp, digest, undertand, and plot a response to the last phrase thrown at him. Often the last phrase had passed over his head with only a word or two being somewhat recognizable when the whole thing was suddently chased by another...Marco would chew for a few seconds, buing time to think of something in Italian that might get him off the hook. He was learning to listen, though, to catch the key words. Both of his friends had repeatedly said that he would always understand much more than he could say..."

Cheers to foreign languages!

아매리칸 크리스마스 (American Christmas)

2009-12-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

I am sitting on the living room couch with Madre and Splat, the fire crackling in the fire, and Rudolph, the show we watched at Christmas when we were little, keeping us glued to the TV. I can't remember a holiday season starting with such a bang! I guess that's what spending one out of the country will do!

2009-11-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

I love running to the Rexburg temple in the frigid cold! It seemed like it would be a great ten minute run, but turns out, contrary to my last post, that SOME things are further than you think! The exposed skin I had allowed cursed me for the next half hour, but the beautiful rolling hills of snow and the quiet stillness of the little town were refreshing and rejuvenated my soul!

Go a little further than you think you can...

2009-11-17T20:13:00.000-08:00

I was driving home from Provo last week when I had a good experience to relate to TONS of stuff! Hopefully you can relate it to something in your life, too! I was just past Cedar, it was dark and I was looking forward to getting home. But then all of a sudden, my gas gauge dropped from 1/3 full to EMPTY. I passed Cedar 5 minutes previous to this event, and did not want to flip around, fearing I would not make it back. I pressed onward, thinking there had to be a gas station somewhere out there. It would be great if it were sooner or later! It was dark, raining, and I didn't like the idea of being a stranded 22 year old girl on the side of I-15. I saw the exit for Kannaraville, and not knowing where on earth Kannaraville was, I took it. There was another sign pointing further into the mountains, so I followed it, lured on this quest to find the closest gasoline. Well, BAD FEELING. STOP. So I call mom, and she says just to keep going, that New Harmony was in about 5-10 miles. I questioned her, "Really? Really?" I asked. I did not want to get my hopes up just to be stranded. With her encouragement, I got back on the freeway, conserving my precious fuel, praying that I would make it to New Harmony. My grip on the wheel tightened, and all of my energy was focused on New Harmony. However, 4 exit stops later and not seeing a sign of ANYTHING, I dove for the next exit, a designated Rest Stop for cars and trucks. Nobody there could help me out, and I felt sick and stupid. Why hadn't I refueled ahead of time? I called Mom again and she looked on the internet to find out exactly how close my precious gas and peace of mind were located down the road. She said it was about 4 stops, to get on the road and just GO. I hesitated, not thinking I had enough gas to go on. What if I didn't make it? But with enough prodding, I got in the car and said, "Heavenly Father, if I'm going to make it to this gas station, it's going to be all You!" I entered the freeway and tentatively went a few miles. ONLY 2 EXITS LATER I saw the beacon shining, the Texaco neon sign, blazing like a hot fire on a bone-chilling day. I coasted alongside the gas pump and offered a prayer of gratitude. I made it!

Now, for the application. Join in the fun and think of something that relates to you. Sometimes we feel like we just can't go any further. The point of relief seems too far and we have doubt and fear that we'll never get there. We falter in the process and refuse to take action, or even continue enduring something. But the moral of the story is that, the welcome sight at the end of the road is not usually AT THE END OF THE ROAD. It's only 2 exits up the hill, if you'll pray for strength, get in your car, and GO. Faith, action, trust...it's everything.

Life after the Mish!

2009-11-15T16:48:00.000-08:00

Being home for two weeks has felt like my head stuck in a pile of cotton. I can breathe, but there's stuff in my eyes and just really weird. I personally do not think I am "weird" but the family might! Mom says that my articulation and perfect pronunciation of every single syllable seems to be improving, and I feel like my flailing in the dark for long forgotten vocabulary is slightly diminishing.

The plan for now is to stay in Santa Clara with the fam until after Christmas, when I will move up to BYU to begin pursuing my Dietetics/Korean degree. Unless the MTC calls saying they have an availability for a Korean teacher, I'll be chillin' here with Nat splat, Dal pal and the parentals.

I think a break will be good!!!